§1610.1 Purpose.

This part is designed to implement statutory restrictions on the use of non-LSC funds by LSC recipients and to ensure that no LSC-funded entity shall engage in any restricted activities and that recipients maintain objective integrity and independence from organizations that engage in restricted activities.

§1610.2 Definitions.

(a) Purpose prohibited by the LSC Act means any activity prohibited by the following sections of the LSC Act and those provisions of the Corporation's regulations that implement such sections of the Act:

(1) Sections 1006(d)(3), 1006(d)(4), 1007(a)(6), and 1007(b)(4) of the LSC Act and 45 CFR part 1608 of the LSC Regulations (Political activities);

(2) Section 1007(a)(10) of the LSC Act (Activities inconsistent with professional responsibilities);

(3) Section 1007(b)(1) of the LSC Act and 45 CFR part 1609 of the LSC regulations (Fee-generating cases);

(4) Section 1007(b)(2) of the LSC Act and 45 CFR part 1613 of the LSC Regulations (Criminal proceedings);

(5) Section 1007(b)(3) of the LSC Act and 45 CFR part 1615 of the LSC Regulations (Actions challenging criminal convictions);

(6) Section 1007(b)(7) of the LSC Act and 45 CFR part 1612 of the LSC Regulations (Organizing activities);

(7) Section 1007(b)(8) of the LSC Act (Abortions);

(8) Section 1007(b)(9) of the LSC Act (School desegregation); and

(9) Section 1007(b)(10) of the LSC Act (Violations of Military Selective Service Act or military desertion).

(b) Activity prohibited by or inconsistent with Section 504 means any activity prohibited by, or inconsistent with the requirements of, the following sections of 110 Stat. 1321 (1996) and those provisions of the Corporation's regulations that implement those sections:

(1) Section 504(a)(1) and 45 CFR part 1632 of the LSC Regulations (Redistricting);

(2) Sections 504(a)(2) through (6), as modified by Sections 504 (b) and (e), and 45 CFR part 1612 of the LSC Regulations (Legislative and administrative advocacy);

(c) IOLTA funds means funds derived from programs established by State court rules or legislation that collect and distribute interest on lawyers' trust accounts.

(d) Non-LSC funds means funds derived from a source other than the Corporation.

(e) Private funds means funds derived from an individual or entity other than a governmental source or LSC.

(f) Public funds means non-LSC funds derived from a Federal, State, or local government or instrumentality of a government. For purposes of this part, IOLTA funds shall be treated in the same manner as public funds.

(g) Transfer means a payment of LSC funds by a recipient to a person or entity for the purpose of conducting programmatic activities that are normally conducted by the recipient, such as the representation of eligible clients, or that provide direct support to the recipient's legal assistance activities. Transfer does not include any payment of LSC funds to vendors, accountants or other providers of goods and services made by the recipient in the normal course of business.

(h) Tribal funds means funds received from an Indian tribe or from a private nonprofit foundation or organization for the benefit of Indians or Indian tribes.

§1610.3 Prohibition.

A recipient may not use non-LSC funds for any purpose prohibited by the LSC Act or for any activity prohibited by or inconsistent with Section 504, unless such use is authorized by §§1610.4, 1610.6 or 1610.7 of this part.

§1610.4 Authorized use of non-LSC funds.

(a) A recipient may receive tribal funds and expend them in accordance with the specific purposes for which the tribal funds were provided.

(b) A recipient may receive public or IOLTA funds and use them in accordance with the specific purposes for which they were provided, if the funds are not used for any activity prohibited by or inconsistent with Section 504.

(c) A recipient may receive private funds and use them in accordance with the purposes for which they were provided, provided that the funds are not used for any activity prohibited by the LSC Act or prohibited or inconsistent with Section 504.

(d) A recipient may use non-LSC funds to provide legal assistance to an individual who is not financially eligible for services under part 1611 of this chapter, provided that the funds are used for the specific purposes for which those funds were provided and are not used for any activity prohibited by the LSC Act or prohibited by or inconsistent with Section 504.

§1610.5 Notification.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no recipient may accept funds from any source other than the Corporation, unless the recipient provides to the source of the funds written notification of the prohibitions and conditions which apply to the funds.

(b) A recipient is not required to provide such notification for receipt of contributions of less than $250.

§1610.6 Applicability.

Notwithstanding §1610.7(a), the prohibitions referred to in §§1610.2(a)(4) (Criminal proceedings), (a)(5) (Actions challenging criminal convictions), (b)(7) (Aliens) or (b)(11) (Prisoner litigation) of this part will not apply to:

(a) A recipient's or subrecipient's separately funded public defender program or project; or

(b) Criminal or related cases accepted by a recipient or subrecipient pursuant to a court appointment.

§1610.7 Program integrity of recipient.

(a) A recipient must have objective integrity and independence from any organization that engages in restricted activities. A recipient will be found to have objective integrity and independence from such an organization if:

(1) The other organization is a legally separate entity;

(2) The other organization receives no LSC funds from the recipient, and LSC funds do not subsidize restricted activities; and

(3) The recipient is physically and financially separate from the other organization. Mere bookkeeping separation of LSC funds from other funds is not sufficient. Whether sufficient physical and financial separation exists will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be based on the totality of the facts. The presence or absence of any one or more factors will not be determinative. Factors relevant to this determination shall include but will not be limited to:

(i) The existence of separate personnel;

(ii) The existence of separate accounting and timekeeping records;

(iii) The degree of separation from facilities in which restricted activities occur, and the extent of such restricted activities; and

(iv) The extent to which signs and other forms of identification which distinguish the recipient from the organization are present.

(b) Each recipient's governing body must certify to the Corporation within 180 days of the effective date of this part that the recipient is in compliance with the requirements of this section. Thereafter, the recipient's governing body must certify such compliance to the Corporation on an annual basis.